Criminal justice conundrum | The Post and Courier, Charleston SC - News, Sports, Entertainment
"Last May the Supreme Court ordered California to reduce its prison population to ease overcrowding, leading to concerns about the impact on society of the early release of some prisoners.
The event illustrates the tangled interaction of federal and state law in the criminal justice system. While the prosecution of crimes is the principal responsibility of states, the federal government gets involved in many ways.
Congress has greatly expanded the list of federal crimes; states and municipalities are influenced by and to some degree dependent on federal grants; and federal courts set limits on police and prosecutors as well as on prison systems. A federal sentencing commission sets length-of-incarceration standards the states must respect
This tangle produces outcomes that are costly and sometimes counterproductive. It clearly needs a serious review. Any national study especially needs to consider the tensions between state and federal interests.
The widely hailed proposal by Sen. James Webb, D-Va., for a national commission to study the criminal justice system recently fell victim to these tensions. All but four Republican senators voted against bringing up Sen. Webb's bill, denying the required 60-vote super-majority.
The principal argument advanced by the opponents was that the commission's structure and mandate paid insufficient attention to states' responsibilities."
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Tougher sentencing will put pressure on prisons - Crime, UK - The Independent
Tougher sentencing will put pressure on prisons - Crime, UK - The Independent
"The jail population in England and Wales could soar towards 95,000 within six years, Whitehall officials forecast yesterday as the Coalition signalled a toughening in its approach to criminal justice policy.
In a defeat for Kenneth Clarke's liberal instincts on sentencing, the Justice Secretary announced automatic jail terms for 16- and 17-year-olds found guilty of knife offences and American-style mandatory life sentences for offenders convicted of a second violent or sexual crime. Just 24 hours earlier he had expressed grave reservations about both policies, but appeared to have been overruled by David Cameron.
After years of increases, the prison population had recently begun to stabilise – and Mr Clarke said last year he believed it could be cut by 3,000. But it will be boosted by up to 1,000 as looters involved in the summer's riots serve tough sentences imposed by courts. The effect on jails is already beginning to be seen, with the prison population rising to a record 87,670 this month.
And according to new projections by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the numbers behind bars could rise to a possible high of 94,800 in 2017, a total that would require the construction of several new jails. Mandatory prison sentences for knife crime committed by adults will also increase the pressure on the prison population.
Numbers of teenagers in custody had been falling in recent years, but the MoJ yesterday estimated that the mandatory jail sentence for 16- and 17-year-olds guilty of knife offences could lead to the imprisonment of up to 400 youngsters a year. Although Mr Clarke yesterday predicted the new "two strikes and you're out" life sentences for the most violent offenders would affect only 20 people a year, the proposals marked a distinct change of rhetoric by the Government on criminal justice.
They come months after Mr Cameron vetoed the Justice Secretary's plans to give sentence discounts to offenders pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. The new populist tone – unlikely to be welcomed by the Coalition's Liberal Democrats – echoes the hardline "prison works" approach to law and order of Michael Howard when he was Home Secretary between 1993 and 1997."
"The jail population in England and Wales could soar towards 95,000 within six years, Whitehall officials forecast yesterday as the Coalition signalled a toughening in its approach to criminal justice policy.
In a defeat for Kenneth Clarke's liberal instincts on sentencing, the Justice Secretary announced automatic jail terms for 16- and 17-year-olds found guilty of knife offences and American-style mandatory life sentences for offenders convicted of a second violent or sexual crime. Just 24 hours earlier he had expressed grave reservations about both policies, but appeared to have been overruled by David Cameron.
After years of increases, the prison population had recently begun to stabilise – and Mr Clarke said last year he believed it could be cut by 3,000. But it will be boosted by up to 1,000 as looters involved in the summer's riots serve tough sentences imposed by courts. The effect on jails is already beginning to be seen, with the prison population rising to a record 87,670 this month.
And according to new projections by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), the numbers behind bars could rise to a possible high of 94,800 in 2017, a total that would require the construction of several new jails. Mandatory prison sentences for knife crime committed by adults will also increase the pressure on the prison population.
Numbers of teenagers in custody had been falling in recent years, but the MoJ yesterday estimated that the mandatory jail sentence for 16- and 17-year-olds guilty of knife offences could lead to the imprisonment of up to 400 youngsters a year. Although Mr Clarke yesterday predicted the new "two strikes and you're out" life sentences for the most violent offenders would affect only 20 people a year, the proposals marked a distinct change of rhetoric by the Government on criminal justice.
They come months after Mr Cameron vetoed the Justice Secretary's plans to give sentence discounts to offenders pleading guilty at the earliest opportunity. The new populist tone – unlikely to be welcomed by the Coalition's Liberal Democrats – echoes the hardline "prison works" approach to law and order of Michael Howard when he was Home Secretary between 1993 and 1997."
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Can restorative justice help balance the scales for African-American youth? - Travel Wires - MiamiHerald.com
Can restorative justice help balance the scales for African-American youth? - Travel Wires - MiamiHerald.com
"CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Darryl is a 12-year-old African American boy whose mother, Ariel, is a single parent. Ariel left high school after becoming pregnant with Darryl and has struggled to find anything but minimum wage jobs to support her family.
One day when he was out with another friend, Darryl and his friend snuck into the neighbor's house and stole a video game. The neighbors called the police.
One might conclude that the future does not bode well for Darryl. In fact, we probably would not be surprised if we were to learn later on that he was in prison. However, there is much more to his story, and much to learn from it. The police response ultimately resulted in a restorative intervention and provided Darryl with an alternative approach.
All too often, the criminal justice system offers only one solution to addressing transgressions: incarceration. A 2008 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, an organization that focuses on improving public policies, found that one in 15 black men 18 years of age and older are incarcerated, compared with one in 106 white men. Even more startling, one in nine young African American men between the ages of 20 and 34 are behind bars, compared to one in 30 of the general U.S. population in that age group.
There are no easy answers to the question of what to do about the disproportionate incarceration rates of young African American men. Nor is there a single solution to address the many layers of structural inequalities that perpetuate cycles of poverty and violence in their lives. We know that incarceration does not solve the problem of crime; this is evident in the fact that around 40 percent of released inmates are back in prison within three years. For some people, prison can induce change, but the reality is that once within the "system," many people tend to stay.
So how do we prevent people from entering the system? How do we respond appropriately to young people like Darryl who commit a crime? The best response is a preventative one - creating structures that help prevent youth from entering into criminal activity in the first place and provide them with support to become productive citizens. Even so, the reality is that crimes will still be committed. Consequently, we need an alternative approach to address these transgressions."
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/27/2474252/can-restorative-justice-help-balance.html#ixzz1bzwz4O4f
"CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Darryl is a 12-year-old African American boy whose mother, Ariel, is a single parent. Ariel left high school after becoming pregnant with Darryl and has struggled to find anything but minimum wage jobs to support her family.
One day when he was out with another friend, Darryl and his friend snuck into the neighbor's house and stole a video game. The neighbors called the police.
One might conclude that the future does not bode well for Darryl. In fact, we probably would not be surprised if we were to learn later on that he was in prison. However, there is much more to his story, and much to learn from it. The police response ultimately resulted in a restorative intervention and provided Darryl with an alternative approach.
All too often, the criminal justice system offers only one solution to addressing transgressions: incarceration. A 2008 study by the Pew Charitable Trusts, an organization that focuses on improving public policies, found that one in 15 black men 18 years of age and older are incarcerated, compared with one in 106 white men. Even more startling, one in nine young African American men between the ages of 20 and 34 are behind bars, compared to one in 30 of the general U.S. population in that age group.
There are no easy answers to the question of what to do about the disproportionate incarceration rates of young African American men. Nor is there a single solution to address the many layers of structural inequalities that perpetuate cycles of poverty and violence in their lives. We know that incarceration does not solve the problem of crime; this is evident in the fact that around 40 percent of released inmates are back in prison within three years. For some people, prison can induce change, but the reality is that once within the "system," many people tend to stay.
So how do we prevent people from entering the system? How do we respond appropriately to young people like Darryl who commit a crime? The best response is a preventative one - creating structures that help prevent youth from entering into criminal activity in the first place and provide them with support to become productive citizens. Even so, the reality is that crimes will still be committed. Consequently, we need an alternative approach to address these transgressions."
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/27/2474252/can-restorative-justice-help-balance.html#ixzz1bzwz4O4f
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Ken Clarke in rift with Theresa May over knife-crime children - Crime, UK - The Independent
Ken Clarke in rift with Theresa May over knife-crime children - Crime, UK - The Independent
"Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary, yesterday opened a fresh rift with the Home Secretary, Theresa May, over whether to jail children found guilty of knife crime.
Plans for automatic prison sentences of six months for knife-wielding adults are currently going through Parliament, but Mrs May has signalled she wants the punishment extended to under-18s.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, and Conservative MPs, have argued that the planned age for an automatic custodial sentence for using a knife to threaten life should be lowered. But appearing before MPs, Mr Clarke made clear he opposed the move, warning it would run counter to Britain's criminal justice system.
The Cabinet colleagues clashed at the Tory conference when Mr Clarke ridiculed Mrs May's claims that an illegal immigrant had avoided deportation under human rights legislation because of his pet cat.
Mr Clarke told the Home Affairs Select Committee that he supported automatic jail terms for knife-carrying adults, but added: "The idea that mandatory sentences now apply to certain types of offence, to young offenders, to children, to juveniles, is a bit of a leap for the judicial system.""
"Ken Clarke, the Justice Secretary, yesterday opened a fresh rift with the Home Secretary, Theresa May, over whether to jail children found guilty of knife crime.
Plans for automatic prison sentences of six months for knife-wielding adults are currently going through Parliament, but Mrs May has signalled she wants the punishment extended to under-18s.
Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, and Conservative MPs, have argued that the planned age for an automatic custodial sentence for using a knife to threaten life should be lowered. But appearing before MPs, Mr Clarke made clear he opposed the move, warning it would run counter to Britain's criminal justice system.
The Cabinet colleagues clashed at the Tory conference when Mr Clarke ridiculed Mrs May's claims that an illegal immigrant had avoided deportation under human rights legislation because of his pet cat.
Mr Clarke told the Home Affairs Select Committee that he supported automatic jail terms for knife-carrying adults, but added: "The idea that mandatory sentences now apply to certain types of offence, to young offenders, to children, to juveniles, is a bit of a leap for the judicial system.""
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Civil groups want Zille to act on ‘failures’ of justice system | The New Age Online
Civil groups want Zille to act on ‘failures’ of justice system | The New Age Online
"Civil organisations working in Cape Town townships have asked Premier Helen Zille to institute an independent commission of inquiry into the “continued and systematic failures of the criminal justice system”.
The organisations have criticised the police for failure to investigate criminal cases thoroughly, claiming that investigations were conducted poorly, resulting in criminal cases being taken off the court roll.
Social Justice Coalition, Ndifuna Ukwazi; Equal Education, Treatment Action Campaign, Triangle Project and Women Legal Centre representatives met Zille and community safety MEC Dan Plato recently, and asked Zille to institute an independent commission of inquiry.
This was directly pertaining to “certain failures of the criminal justice system in Khayelitsha”.
The meeting with Zille was in response to a protest of more than 500 people on October 4 who demonstrated outside the provincial parliament where, for the second time, the organisations issued a memorandum of grievances calling for a commission of inquiry to be instituted into the continued failure of the justice system in Khayelitsha, focusing on the conduct of police officers.
The organisations stated that through their work over “many years” they had identified “numerous” problems that prevented the realisation of the residents’ right to justice in Khayelitsha.
“In our collective experience and work, many victims of crime in Khayelitsha and in other working class and poor communities do not have adequate access to justice, a right that is guaranteed by the Constitution and the victims’ charter,” said the organisations.
Zille said she had explained to representatives from the organisations the province only had oversight of the police and that she asked them to submit a formal complaint “as I can only act on receipt of a formal complaint”."
"Civil organisations working in Cape Town townships have asked Premier Helen Zille to institute an independent commission of inquiry into the “continued and systematic failures of the criminal justice system”.
The organisations have criticised the police for failure to investigate criminal cases thoroughly, claiming that investigations were conducted poorly, resulting in criminal cases being taken off the court roll.
Social Justice Coalition, Ndifuna Ukwazi; Equal Education, Treatment Action Campaign, Triangle Project and Women Legal Centre representatives met Zille and community safety MEC Dan Plato recently, and asked Zille to institute an independent commission of inquiry.
This was directly pertaining to “certain failures of the criminal justice system in Khayelitsha”.
The meeting with Zille was in response to a protest of more than 500 people on October 4 who demonstrated outside the provincial parliament where, for the second time, the organisations issued a memorandum of grievances calling for a commission of inquiry to be instituted into the continued failure of the justice system in Khayelitsha, focusing on the conduct of police officers.
The organisations stated that through their work over “many years” they had identified “numerous” problems that prevented the realisation of the residents’ right to justice in Khayelitsha.
“In our collective experience and work, many victims of crime in Khayelitsha and in other working class and poor communities do not have adequate access to justice, a right that is guaranteed by the Constitution and the victims’ charter,” said the organisations.
Zille said she had explained to representatives from the organisations the province only had oversight of the police and that she asked them to submit a formal complaint “as I can only act on receipt of a formal complaint”."
Monday, October 24, 2011
Sex-offender info now on Facebook » Local News » Press-Republican
Sex-offender info now on Facebook » Local News » Press-Republican
"ALBANY — Users of Facebook can now get information about sex offenders living in their neighborhoods
Facebook users can access information about medium- and high-risk sex offenders with just a few clicks — and without leaving the social-networking site.
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services has launched its Sex Offender Locator Application, which is accessible via the New York State Public Safety Facebook page: facebook.com/nyspublicsafety.
The Division of Criminal Justice maintains the state's sex-offender registry and a registry subdirectory on the website criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor that provides information about Level 2 (medium risk) and Level 3 (high risk) sex offenders. The new Facebook application is designed to make that information more readily accessible.
"New Yorkers now have another way to access up-to-date information about sex offenders in their neighborhoods," Division of Criminal Justice Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne said in a news release.
"With Halloween around the corner, parents now have another tool to learn where offenders live so they can ensure their children stay away from those locations, as well as strangers' homes. The Facebook app puts that important information at parents' fingertips, whether they are at home or on the go."
In all, 32,994 registered sex offenders are listed on the state's Sex Offender Registry: 12,473 Level 1 offenders; 11,685 Level 2 offenders; 8,163 Level 3 offenders; and 673 offenders whose risk level is pending."
"ALBANY — Users of Facebook can now get information about sex offenders living in their neighborhoods
Facebook users can access information about medium- and high-risk sex offenders with just a few clicks — and without leaving the social-networking site.
The New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services has launched its Sex Offender Locator Application, which is accessible via the New York State Public Safety Facebook page: facebook.com/nyspublicsafety.
The Division of Criminal Justice maintains the state's sex-offender registry and a registry subdirectory on the website criminaljustice.ny.gov/nsor that provides information about Level 2 (medium risk) and Level 3 (high risk) sex offenders. The new Facebook application is designed to make that information more readily accessible.
"New Yorkers now have another way to access up-to-date information about sex offenders in their neighborhoods," Division of Criminal Justice Acting Commissioner Sean M. Byrne said in a news release.
"With Halloween around the corner, parents now have another tool to learn where offenders live so they can ensure their children stay away from those locations, as well as strangers' homes. The Facebook app puts that important information at parents' fingertips, whether they are at home or on the go."
In all, 32,994 registered sex offenders are listed on the state's Sex Offender Registry: 12,473 Level 1 offenders; 11,685 Level 2 offenders; 8,163 Level 3 offenders; and 673 offenders whose risk level is pending."
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Can Criminal Justice Be Quantified? - Andrew Cohen - National - The Atlantic
Can Criminal Justice Be Quantified? - Andrew Cohen - National - The Atlantic
"There's an interesting study out from the NYU School of Law which buttresses the argument that America would save a ton of money down the road, and make life easier for many of its citizens, if lawmakers today were able to muster up the moxie to remodel criminal justice systems. It's a concept that requires political foresight and a patient public, which means most politicians and their constituents will blindly reject it, but I hope serious people everywhere take a long look at this.
The report is called "Balanced Justice," a joint project by the Institute for Policy Integrity and the Center for the Administration of Criminal Law, and it again urges policy makers to aggressively employ economic cost-benefit analyses when evaluating decisions about their criminal justice systems. "Public safety can be prioritized and even improved at a lower cost than traditional incarceration," the report concludes, "using techniques like behavioral therapy for young offenders, intensive supervision, or a new iteration of a drug court.""
"There's an interesting study out from the NYU School of Law which buttresses the argument that America would save a ton of money down the road, and make life easier for many of its citizens, if lawmakers today were able to muster up the moxie to remodel criminal justice systems. It's a concept that requires political foresight and a patient public, which means most politicians and their constituents will blindly reject it, but I hope serious people everywhere take a long look at this.
The report is called "Balanced Justice," a joint project by the Institute for Policy Integrity and the Center for the Administration of Criminal Law, and it again urges policy makers to aggressively employ economic cost-benefit analyses when evaluating decisions about their criminal justice systems. "Public safety can be prioritized and even improved at a lower cost than traditional incarceration," the report concludes, "using techniques like behavioral therapy for young offenders, intensive supervision, or a new iteration of a drug court.""
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Consultants say that Oklahoma should get more from its criminal justice system | Tulsa World
Consultants say that Oklahoma should get more from its criminal justice system | Tulsa World
"MUSKOGEE - Oklahoma's criminal justice system is expensive and not particularly effective, a team of consultants from the nonprofit Council of State Governments' Justice Center said Tuesday.
With House Speaker Kris Steele moderating comments from an audience of about 30, the consultants' presented their preliminary findings for the third time in two days, having previously appeared in Lawton and Enid.
The team is part of the council's Justice Reinvestment program, which is described as a "data-driven approach to reduce corrections spending and reinvest savings in strategies that can decrease crime and strengthen neighborhoods."
The program is credited with helping Texas, Kansas and about a dozen other states redesign their corrections systems.
"Oklahoma has increased spending for corrections by 41 percent while violent crime remains virtually unchanged," Steele said during preliminary remarks. "At least 36 other states have seen decreases in violent crime during that same period."
Project Director Marshall Clement said he and his colleagues had identified three major areas of concern: The state has unchanged or rising crime rates that run contrary to national trends; a high percentage of Oklahoma inmates are released without supervision; and Oklahoma's prison population is increasing at an unsustainable rate.
Clement said Oklahoma's murder rate has remained almost unchanged over the past decade while the national rate has declined 13 percent.
Robbery, he said, has gone up 15 percent in the state while declining 18 percent nationally during the same period.
Clement said the increases may be related to declines in the number of police per capita in the state, especially in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He noted that Norman had increased its police force by 18 percent relative to its population and had seen a corresponding 48 percent drop in violent crime.
About half of Oklahoma inmates are released from prison without any required supervision, Clement said. State Corrections Director Justin Jones, who was among those in attendance, said that's because so many serve their full sentences before being released.
Later, during questions and remarks from the audience, it was mentioned that many inmates prefer to stay in jail rather than be released under supervision - in part because of the costs associated with supervised release.
According to corrections officials and attorney Mark Bonney, inmates on supervised release have to pay at least $100 to $150 for such things as monitoring devices and behavioral treatment. Sex offenders must take polygraph exams every six months at a cost of about $250 each time.
"I've had people I've sentenced tell me they'd rather serve a full sentence than get out early with supervision," said Muskogee County Special Judge Robin Adair. "That indicates to me the importance of supervision."
Clement said Oklahoma will need an additional 3,000 prison beds in the next few years just to accommodate the population increase caused by the state's 85 percent rule - a state law requiring many offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
Jones said the effect of the 85 percent rule has been compounded by a trend toward longer sentences."
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111019_16_A1_CUTLIN935911
"MUSKOGEE - Oklahoma's criminal justice system is expensive and not particularly effective, a team of consultants from the nonprofit Council of State Governments' Justice Center said Tuesday.
With House Speaker Kris Steele moderating comments from an audience of about 30, the consultants' presented their preliminary findings for the third time in two days, having previously appeared in Lawton and Enid.
The team is part of the council's Justice Reinvestment program, which is described as a "data-driven approach to reduce corrections spending and reinvest savings in strategies that can decrease crime and strengthen neighborhoods."
The program is credited with helping Texas, Kansas and about a dozen other states redesign their corrections systems.
"Oklahoma has increased spending for corrections by 41 percent while violent crime remains virtually unchanged," Steele said during preliminary remarks. "At least 36 other states have seen decreases in violent crime during that same period."
Project Director Marshall Clement said he and his colleagues had identified three major areas of concern: The state has unchanged or rising crime rates that run contrary to national trends; a high percentage of Oklahoma inmates are released without supervision; and Oklahoma's prison population is increasing at an unsustainable rate.
Clement said Oklahoma's murder rate has remained almost unchanged over the past decade while the national rate has declined 13 percent.
Robbery, he said, has gone up 15 percent in the state while declining 18 percent nationally during the same period.
Clement said the increases may be related to declines in the number of police per capita in the state, especially in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He noted that Norman had increased its police force by 18 percent relative to its population and had seen a corresponding 48 percent drop in violent crime.
About half of Oklahoma inmates are released from prison without any required supervision, Clement said. State Corrections Director Justin Jones, who was among those in attendance, said that's because so many serve their full sentences before being released.
Later, during questions and remarks from the audience, it was mentioned that many inmates prefer to stay in jail rather than be released under supervision - in part because of the costs associated with supervised release.
According to corrections officials and attorney Mark Bonney, inmates on supervised release have to pay at least $100 to $150 for such things as monitoring devices and behavioral treatment. Sex offenders must take polygraph exams every six months at a cost of about $250 each time.
"I've had people I've sentenced tell me they'd rather serve a full sentence than get out early with supervision," said Muskogee County Special Judge Robin Adair. "That indicates to me the importance of supervision."
Clement said Oklahoma will need an additional 3,000 prison beds in the next few years just to accommodate the population increase caused by the state's 85 percent rule - a state law requiring many offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
Jones said the effect of the 85 percent rule has been compounded by a trend toward longer sentences."
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111019_16_A1_CUTLIN935911
Consultants say that Oklahoma should get more from its criminal justice system | Tulsa World
Consultants say that Oklahoma should get more from its criminal justice system | Tulsa World
"MUSKOGEE - Oklahoma's criminal justice system is expensive and not particularly effective, a team of consultants from the nonprofit Council of State Governments' Justice Center said Tuesday.
With House Speaker Kris Steele moderating comments from an audience of about 30, the consultants' presented their preliminary findings for the third time in two days, having previously appeared in Lawton and Enid.
The team is part of the council's Justice Reinvestment program, which is described as a "data-driven approach to reduce corrections spending and reinvest savings in strategies that can decrease crime and strengthen neighborhoods."
The program is credited with helping Texas, Kansas and about a dozen other states redesign their corrections systems.
"Oklahoma has increased spending for corrections by 41 percent while violent crime remains virtually unchanged," Steele said during preliminary remarks. "At least 36 other states have seen decreases in violent crime during that same period."
Project Director Marshall Clement said he and his colleagues had identified three major areas of concern: The state has unchanged or rising crime rates that run contrary to national trends; a high percentage of Oklahoma inmates are released without supervision; and Oklahoma's prison population is increasing at an unsustainable rate.
Clement said Oklahoma's murder rate has remained almost unchanged over the past decade while the national rate has declined 13 percent.
Robbery, he said, has gone up 15 percent in the state while declining 18 percent nationally during the same period.
Clement said the increases may be related to declines in the number of police per capita in the state, especially in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He noted that Norman had increased its police force by 18 percent relative to its population and had seen a corresponding 48 percent drop in violent crime.
About half of Oklahoma inmates are released from prison without any required supervision, Clement said. State Corrections Director Justin Jones, who was among those in attendance, said that's because so many serve their full sentences before being released.
Later, during questions and remarks from the audience, it was mentioned that many inmates prefer to stay in jail rather than be released under supervision - in part because of the costs associated with supervised release.
According to corrections officials and attorney Mark Bonney, inmates on supervised release have to pay at least $100 to $150 for such things as monitoring devices and behavioral treatment. Sex offenders must take polygraph exams every six months at a cost of about $250 each time.
"I've had people I've sentenced tell me they'd rather serve a full sentence than get out early with supervision," said Muskogee County Special Judge Robin Adair. "That indicates to me the importance of supervision."
Clement said Oklahoma will need an additional 3,000 prison beds in the next few years just to accommodate the population increase caused by the state's 85 percent rule - a state law requiring many offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
Jones said the effect of the 85 percent rule has been compounded by a trend toward longer sentences."
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111019_16_A1_CUTLIN935911
"MUSKOGEE - Oklahoma's criminal justice system is expensive and not particularly effective, a team of consultants from the nonprofit Council of State Governments' Justice Center said Tuesday.
With House Speaker Kris Steele moderating comments from an audience of about 30, the consultants' presented their preliminary findings for the third time in two days, having previously appeared in Lawton and Enid.
The team is part of the council's Justice Reinvestment program, which is described as a "data-driven approach to reduce corrections spending and reinvest savings in strategies that can decrease crime and strengthen neighborhoods."
The program is credited with helping Texas, Kansas and about a dozen other states redesign their corrections systems.
"Oklahoma has increased spending for corrections by 41 percent while violent crime remains virtually unchanged," Steele said during preliminary remarks. "At least 36 other states have seen decreases in violent crime during that same period."
Project Director Marshall Clement said he and his colleagues had identified three major areas of concern: The state has unchanged or rising crime rates that run contrary to national trends; a high percentage of Oklahoma inmates are released without supervision; and Oklahoma's prison population is increasing at an unsustainable rate.
Clement said Oklahoma's murder rate has remained almost unchanged over the past decade while the national rate has declined 13 percent.
Robbery, he said, has gone up 15 percent in the state while declining 18 percent nationally during the same period.
Clement said the increases may be related to declines in the number of police per capita in the state, especially in Oklahoma City and Tulsa. He noted that Norman had increased its police force by 18 percent relative to its population and had seen a corresponding 48 percent drop in violent crime.
About half of Oklahoma inmates are released from prison without any required supervision, Clement said. State Corrections Director Justin Jones, who was among those in attendance, said that's because so many serve their full sentences before being released.
Later, during questions and remarks from the audience, it was mentioned that many inmates prefer to stay in jail rather than be released under supervision - in part because of the costs associated with supervised release.
According to corrections officials and attorney Mark Bonney, inmates on supervised release have to pay at least $100 to $150 for such things as monitoring devices and behavioral treatment. Sex offenders must take polygraph exams every six months at a cost of about $250 each time.
"I've had people I've sentenced tell me they'd rather serve a full sentence than get out early with supervision," said Muskogee County Special Judge Robin Adair. "That indicates to me the importance of supervision."
Clement said Oklahoma will need an additional 3,000 prison beds in the next few years just to accommodate the population increase caused by the state's 85 percent rule - a state law requiring many offenders to serve at least 85 percent of their sentences.
Jones said the effect of the 85 percent rule has been compounded by a trend toward longer sentences."
Read more from this Tulsa World article at http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20111019_16_A1_CUTLIN935911
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Commission For Major Criminal Justice Overhaul Back On Track In Congress
Commission For Major Criminal Justice Overhaul Back On Track In Congress
"WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) on Monday afternoon offered his National Criminal Justice Commission Act as an amendment to a major appropriations bill now before the Senate. A standalone version of the NCJCA stalled in the Senate in 2010 despite bipartisan support in the House.
If created, the Commission would "undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, encompassing current Federal, State, local, and tribal criminal justice policies and practices, and make reform recommendations for the President, Congress, State, local, and tribal governments," according to the amendment. The last time Congress conducted such a review was in 1965.
Once established, the Commission would have $5 million and 18 months to put out a report on what can be done to fix -- if not entirely overhaul -- the American criminal justice system.
Speaking to HuffPost soon after he first proposed the NCJCA in 2009, Webb said, "I heard from Justice [Anthony] Kennedy of the Supreme Court, from prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, former offenders, people in prison, and police on the street. All of them have told me that our system needs to be fixed, and that we need a holistic plan of how to solve it."
Indeed, Justice Kennedy did his part in May of this year when he delivered a 5-4 decision ordering California to release about 46,000 prisoners from the state's notoriously overcrowded prison population. Overall, the United States houses 25 percent of the world's prisoners despite only having 5 percent of the global population.
Webb has also shown skepticism toward the effectiveness of the "war on drugs," noting the 1200 percent increase in incarceration of drug offenders since its Reagan-era inception. In a 2009 radio interview, Webb called the prospect of marijuana legalization a "very legitimate question" for the Commission to consider."
"WASHINGTON -- Sen. Jim Webb (D-Va.) on Monday afternoon offered his National Criminal Justice Commission Act as an amendment to a major appropriations bill now before the Senate. A standalone version of the NCJCA stalled in the Senate in 2010 despite bipartisan support in the House.
If created, the Commission would "undertake a comprehensive review of the criminal justice system, encompassing current Federal, State, local, and tribal criminal justice policies and practices, and make reform recommendations for the President, Congress, State, local, and tribal governments," according to the amendment. The last time Congress conducted such a review was in 1965.
Once established, the Commission would have $5 million and 18 months to put out a report on what can be done to fix -- if not entirely overhaul -- the American criminal justice system.
Speaking to HuffPost soon after he first proposed the NCJCA in 2009, Webb said, "I heard from Justice [Anthony] Kennedy of the Supreme Court, from prosecutors, judges, defense lawyers, former offenders, people in prison, and police on the street. All of them have told me that our system needs to be fixed, and that we need a holistic plan of how to solve it."
Indeed, Justice Kennedy did his part in May of this year when he delivered a 5-4 decision ordering California to release about 46,000 prisoners from the state's notoriously overcrowded prison population. Overall, the United States houses 25 percent of the world's prisoners despite only having 5 percent of the global population.
Webb has also shown skepticism toward the effectiveness of the "war on drugs," noting the 1200 percent increase in incarceration of drug offenders since its Reagan-era inception. In a 2009 radio interview, Webb called the prospect of marijuana legalization a "very legitimate question" for the Commission to consider."
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